Okonkwo calls for collaboration, overhaul of Igbo business model

MaTaZ ArIsInG
Dallas, Texas

‎‎…says businesses should emulate Air Peace, United Nigeria Airlines’ partnership

‎By Faheem Lawal
‎
‎The Executive Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, has said that the Igbo entrepreneurial model must be reformed, not discarded, if it is to remain competitive in today’s global economy.

Prof. Okonkwo, who was the facilitator at the 2026 Annual General Meeting of De Imperial Philanthropic Family in Lagos at the weekend, delivered a talk titled “Recalibrating the Igbo Entrepreneurial Model for the Emerging Global Economy.”

‎His stance was that though the strength of the model which includes individual initiative, self-reliance and a long record of commercial success, remain valuable, the challenge is not to abandon the traditional model but to recalibrate it.

Prof. Okonkwo’s first proposal was to reformulate the Igbo apprenticeship system where apprentices would be competent in digital commerce, financial technology, data analytics, artificial intelligence, international marketing, business management, intellectual property and export procedures.

He advised that the system should add these competencies while keeping the scheme’s practical, mentor-based character.

He criticised universities that conduct research without considering how it might be commercialized, arguing that academic institutions need closer ties to industry. He also urged enterprises to open opportunities for young people to contribute ideas, and to keep learning and experimenting so that indigenous firms remain dynamic. He also proposed closer exchange between universities and markets, so that knowledge from academia could meet skills from the informal sector.

‎In recalibrating the Igbo model, Okonkwo said businesses must collaborate more instead of engaging in unhealthy competition and rivalry. He said although individual initiatives remain a strength of the tradition, the complexity of modern production makes collaboration essential. He pointed to shared production facilities as ways to lower the costs that small and medium enterprises face alone.

He said: “A typical example of collaboration is my relationship with my dear friend and brother, Allen Onyema of Air Peace. This provides a practical illustration of an alternative approach. Many expected us to engage in bitter rivalry but we rejected that and have developed a mutually beneficial and worthy partnership whose significance has resonated within the aviation sector. Collaboration can create oppourtunities for partnerships and shared growth. Very soon, you would be able to buy Air Peace tickets and fly United Nigeria Airlines with it. These are the kinds of things collaboration among us can bring because there is more to gain than to lose.”

‎Okonkwo spent several minutes on the export readiness of Nigerian businesses. He said while studying in Russia, he could import goods from many countries but not from Nigeria, because Nigerian products did not meet the required export standard.

‎He said Nigeria can export some agricultural products, but entering certain markets requires meeting specific standards in certification, packaging, quality assurance, export documentation and intellectual property protection. He cited the Aba Export Group lab set up under Abia State Governor Alex Otti and commissioned in 2025, as an example of institutional support. The lab is designed to help firms standardize, package and brand products for export, with initial focus areas including agro-products and fashion apparel.

‎He said: “Imagine a global economy in which enterprises can meet international standards, deliver consistent quality, and compete on reliability, price, and innovation. Even entrepreneurs can benefit from a more deliberate orientation toward export development and international market integration.

‎“As I understand it, some of you here run production businesses. If you can take advantage of this, you can produce globally competitive, high-quality products for export. This requires improving product certification, packaging quality assurance, export logistics documentation, intellectual property protection, and compliance with the regulatory requirements of destination markets.”

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